M I C H A E L   J E N N I N G S

1 0   D O N ' T S

1) Don’t think it’s easy. Breeding a very good dog is a very hard job and requires a certain amount of luck and a ton of patience. Approach it as a 20-year enterprise.


2) Don’t confuse the woods and the trees by focusing too much on color and markings, or you will never learn to see the breed in any essential way, and if you can’t “see” a good dog (both in the flesh and in your head), you’re unlikely to breed one.


3) Don’t overstress your ecosystem. Acquiring too many dogs too quickly causes many would-be breeders to quit, as does dropping too much money in the show ring before you know what you’re doing.

4) Don’t become obsessed with the show ring. It’s only a small part of the story. Keep health, vigor, temperament and type foremost and showbiz secondary, and you’ll do less harm to the breed.

5) Don’t love your own dogs more than you love the breed or you will become blind to their shortcomings and to the virtues of others.


6) Don’t become overly enamored with individual dogs when seeking to invest in a puppy or stud dog. Try to see FAMILIES. It is an old Scottish axiom that it is better to marry the ugliest daughter of a beautiful family than the most beautiful daughter of an ugly one.


7) Don’t put aesthetic whim ahead of historical and functional considerations. You may personally like round feet and short muzzles, but they make for bad Siberians.


8) Don’t stop revising or “re-visioning” your perception of the breed. No one knows it all, though many think they do. Seek out mentors, books, seminars, and as many non-show activities as possible, especially sled dog events.


9) Don’t stop reading the Standard. You’ll be amazed at how much you rediscover.


10) Don’t compromise your ethics or integrity no matter how tempting the Devil’s offer.

 
To breed is to play God, and it shouldn’t be untaken lightly. It takes time, patience, luck and good decision-making. To do it well is to be a good pack leader by keeping your pack strong and healthy. To do it badly is to break too many eggs to make an occasional omelet. It doesn’t require a moral imagination necessarily, but to undertake a breeding program without a high degree of idealism is like taking up marriage with no intention of being honest or faithful in the relationship .